The Nonconformists Plea for Peace, Section 2
SECT. II.
The Various Opinions of ſuch us we have to do with.
Sect. I. BEcauſe men will judge of ſuch Cauſes according to their ſeveral Principles, and Preſuppoſitions, we muſt take notice of ſome of the divers Principles of thoſe whoſe cenſure we muſt expect: (Though not of inconſiderable Sects.)
Sect. II. And 1. Some ſay that no humane Form of Church Government, and of Churches, as governed, is of God's Inſtitution (or as they ſay, Jure Divino,) but that it is left to humane prudence.
Sect. III. 2. Some hold only an Univerſal Church (governed by a Pope, ſay ſome of them, or by a General Council while ſitting, and a Pope in the Intervals, ſay others, or by a Pope and Council agreeing while it ſits, and a Pope in the Intervals, ſay others) to be Jure Divino, and all particular. Church-Forms as ſubordinate, left to the prudence of this Univerſal Governour as Supreme; as Inferiour Officers in Kingdoms are made by the King.
Sect. IV. 3. Some hold that this Univerſal Church-Form, and alſo Dioceſan, and no other, are inſtituted of God.
Sect. V. 4. Some hold that the Univerſal, Patriarchal Metropolitical (or Provincial) Dioceſan, and Parochial, are jure divino, or inſtituted by Chriſt and his Apoſtles.
Sect. VI. 5. Some hold that only Dioceſan Churches, and Metropolitical or Provincial, are jure divino, and not the univerſal: And of theſe ſome take Dioceſan Churches, for thoſe only that contain many fixed Aſſemblies, and ſome for ſuch as have one Biſhop, whether over one Congregation, or over multitudes. Saith the very learned Dr. Hamond, in 1 Tim. 3. [The Church of the living God, was every ſuch regular Aſſembly of Chriſtians under a Biſhop (ſuch as Timothy was) an Oeconomus ſet over them by Chriſt: Such again every larger circuit under the Metropolitane, who as Timothy had foreign, Ordination and Juriſdiction over the whole Province. And ſuch all the particular Churches of the whole world, conſidered together under the Supreme Head Chriſt Jeſus, diſpenſing them all by himſelf, and adminiſtring them ſeverally, not by any one Oeconomus, but by the ſeveral Biſhops as inferiour Heads of Unity to the ſeveral Bodies, ſo conſtituted by the ſeveral Apoſtles in their plantations, each of them having an foreign, a ſeveral diſtinct Commiſſion from Chriſt immediately and ſubordinate to none, but the ſupreme Donor or Plenipotentiary. He here ſuppoſeth (as he elſewhere ſheweth) that de facto, Epiſcopal Churches were in Scripture-times but ſingle Congregations; but that after it was otherwiſe: And whether then the New Form of Congregations were jure divino, when they became but Parts of a Biſhops Church, we leave to the Readers conjecture; as alſo of the New Form of a Dioceſan Church.
Sect. VII. 6. Some hold that National Churches, that is, Chriſtian Kingdoms, as governed by the Soveraign, Secular Power, are inſtituted by God, and that all Church-Forms elſe within that Kingdom, are jure humano, at the pleaſure of the King, ſo be it that worſhiping-Aſſemblies be kept up, and Biſhops and Prieſts placed as it ſhall pleaſe the King.
Sect. VIII. 7. Some think that Dioceſans (or Biſhops whether over one Congregation or many) are inſtituted by God (and ſome ſay alſo Archbiſhops;) and that theſe have power by conſent or contract among themſelves, to make Patriarchal and National Churches: And ſo that theſe National and Patriarchal Churches are jure divino mediato, but jure humano immediato, and are rather made by the conſent of Biſhops, than by Kings: And ſo under Heathen Kings the Churches may be National.
Sect. IX. 8. Some think that Parochial Churches (conſiſting of Chriſtians diſtinguiſhed by the circuit of ground) and combinations of theſe into Synods leſs and greater, Claſſical, National, are jure divino, and no other lawful.
Sect. X. 9. Some think that only Parochial Churches ordinarily, and ſingle Congregations of any Neighbour Chriſtians, when Pariſh Order cannot be obſerved, are jure divino.
Sect. XI. 10. And ſome think that only ſuch ſingle Congregations of Chriſtians, with their Choſen Paſtors, without any neceſſary reſpect to Pariſh bounds, are properly called Churches of Divine Inſtitution, though theſe Churches may and ſhould hold ſuch aſſociations, as correſpondence and mutual help require.
Sect. XII. There being ſo many ſorts of Churches in the world, (as Univerſal, National, Patriarchal, Provincial, or Metropolitical, Dioceſan, Claſſical, Parochial, Congregational) it is hard to give a juſt deciſion of the queſtion, From which of theſe, and when it is a ſin to ſeparate; till it be firſt known which of theſe is Divine, and which of Humane Inſtitution, and which Humane Churches are neceſſary, which lawful, and which ſinful. And it muſt be known of which the queſtion is. And while there is ſo ſignal a diverſity of Judgment, about the ſeveral Forms, the nature of Schiſm will be hardlier opened.